The Mystery of New Zealand’s Tamil Bell, an Archaeological ‘UFO’  Atlas Obscura

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a UFO! It’s an aurora! No, it’s STEVE! A strange visitor to our planet with unique properties surpassing mere aurorae. STEVE! Whose picket fence aspect can be seen from the equator, and its purple stripe which is far more mysterious than expected by scientists and Sabrina Imbler! Also in […]

Two mind-expanding interviews with individuals whose careers have negotiated the precarious path between traditional science and what is commonly regarded as woo. Dr. Garry Nolan has a hugely important post at Stanford University School of Medicine. His study of the “Atacama skeleton” set off explosive responses from both promoters of its possibly alien lineage and […]

Diana Walsh Pasulka’s book on the religious aspects of ufology in the digital age is drawing a wide variety of appreciations. MJ Banias predicts the book will take “the UFO world definitely by storm.” Emily Harnett is having none of that, viewing Pasulka as naively captivated by her Silicon Valley handlers’ prestige into buying their […]

Could the hyperconnectivity of little lumps of gristle within your noggin attune folks to high strangeness? Welp, the U.S. government looked into the hypothesis and the provocative data points piqued James Iandoli’s curiosity. Maybe Annie Jacobsen spied him from across a crowded room and transmitted her analysis when their gaze met. It’s more than a […]

Atlas Obscura Rendlesham Forest UFO LandingAtlas ObscuraOften billed as the “British Roswell,” the Rendlesham Forest incident was an alleged UFO encounter that took place at this Suffolk site in December of 1980. At the time, the location was part of a military base, and the alien spacecraft was supposedly …

Is it a conspiracy theory if the target of the tale decides to have fun with it? Or are The-Powers-That-Be pulling a fast one to keep the lid on their main attraction? Amidst the disposal bins for weed that nobody uses, Sarah Laskow’s spotted a bunch of curious posters outshining DIA’s notorious apocalyptic murals that […]

Atlas Obscura Collins Beach UFO BoatAtlas ObscuraThe UFO boat is stranded up on the beach, among the trees somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd parking areas. You will not be able to see the boat until you're about 200 feet from it. Depending on the the water levels, the boat might only be accessible by …

Atlas Obscura OvnipuertoAtlas ObscuraWhile illuminated by the light of a UFO's beam, he received a telepathic message from the aircraft's captain. “If you build it, we will go,” it purportedly said, sounding like a character from an otherworldly version of Field of Dreams. So build it …

Atlas Obscura Coyote's Flying Saucer Retrievals and RepairsAtlas ObscuraThis is Coyote's Flying Saucer Retrievals and Repairs Service, a UFO junkyard featuring several life-size saucers, many of which can actually be driven around once Coyote is finished with his handiwork. To make the scene even more extraterrestrial …